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Obscene Bengals fan? Dial (513) 381-JERK

If you act like a jerk at Paul Brown Stadium on game day, somebody with better manners could end up in your seat for the rest of the Cincinnati Bengals' home games.

All it would take is a phone call.

The football team has set up a telephone hot line -- (513) 381-JERK (5375) -- that fans with cell phones may call to report obnoxious behavior in the stands.

Those who use excessive foul language will be warned. If they persist, they risk being ejected and having their season tickets and seat licenses revoked. Those who behave worse might also be arrested and jailed.

The Bengals won't target a fan who lets an expletive slip, said Bob Bedinghaus, the team's director of development for Paul Brown Stadium.

"We're not going to be the curse police. You need to understand you're coming to an NFL football game," Bedinghaus said. "On the other hand, we want to make sure that we're paying attention to those folks who are going over the line."

Beer is fueling the problem and fans have complained to team officials.
"And there were some fights last year," Bedinghaus said.

Drunks have offended people such as Jeanie Dittrich, West Chester, Ohio, who took her son, Austin, 12, to the January playoff game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

"All he wanted for Christmas was a playoff ticket," said Dittrich, 42, a season ticket-holder.

"We told him, 'You might see some drunk people, you might hear some F-words and swearing.' But at the game, I thought, 'Oh, my gosh, I'm going to mar my son for the rest of his life by having him come to this game.' It was so bad."